Esperanza soccer is royalty under King

Lauren Guerra of Esperanza, right, gets to the ball ahead of Emma Burns, left, of San Clemente in the second round of the Excalibur Tournament at Esperanza High School. San Clemente won the match 1-0.LEONARD ORTIZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Unlike the majority of first-year head coaches asked to resurrect besieged high school sports programs, John King was given a much more compelling assignment in his inaugural season at Esperanza High 11 years ago.

Instead of being asked to build a reputable girls soccer program from the ground up, King was merely asked to not mangle the one already in place.

"When I walked in here in 2001, I knew right away there was a tradition," King said. "There were 13 seniors on the team at the time, so that definitely helped lay the groundwork for me. They showed me the tradition, and it's been my job to continue it."

In King's first season, Esperanza finished atop the Sunset League with a 6-0-4 record, and then advanced to the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section playoffs before ultimately settling with 21 wins to three losses and four ties overall.

The Aztecs would qualify for the CIF-SS playoffs each of the next seven seasons, with a pair of appearances in the semifinals (2003, 2006) and quarterfinals (2007, 2008).

Yet, it was the vast success of Esperanza's 2009-10 team that elevated the program to unprecedented heights.

"Every year is unique," King said. "Every class has a unique group of girls, and if I had to describe that 2009 team, I'd say it was a blue-collar team. There were no superstars ... and they clicked at the right time."

Led by sophomore Rylee Baisden (the team's leading scorer) and seniors Katie Gallanes and Melissa Laxamana, that 2009 Aztecs squad enjoyed the most successful season in school history. In finishing the year at 27-0-4, Esperanza claimed the CIF-SS Division 1 and CIF Southern California Regional Division 1 championships – both school firsts.

Seven seniors on that team went on to play on the collegiate level.

"There was always a high standard at Esperanza with all the sports programs here," said King, who has won more than 210 games during his tenure. "The women's soccer team had been to the semifinals four years since I got here, so that (winning those championships) just got us over the hump and really put us on the map."

Two highly-successful seasons later, Esperanza – which, since 2001, has won six league championships in two different leagues (Sunset and Century) – appears primed to continue the tradition of excellence that King has only embellished.

"They're two different teams, but they both have the same attributes," King said of the 2009 and 2012 teams. "This team has the potential, and we've seen it through the games we've played, to play with anybody.

"We've beaten very good teams, and that's how the 2009 team was."

After graduating four All-Century League players last year, a pair of upperclassmen with four years of experience on the varsity level in Nosa Ogiamien, a midfielder, and Jillian Paker, a forward/defender, serve as the historians of that celebrated 2009 season.

"When you graduate a lot of kids," King said, "you rely on the kids that have been in the system to carry over that tradition, and the new kids to catch on. There's a lot of tradition here, so part of my job is to make sure that tradition continues."

Lauren Guerra of Esperanza, right, gets to the ball ahead of Emma Burns, left, of San Clemente in the second round of the Excalibur Tournament at Esperanza High School. San Clemente won the match 1-0. LEONARD ORTIZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Allison Snyder, left, of San Clemente battles for the ball against Nosa Ogiamien of Esperanza in the second round of the Excalibur Tournament at Esperanza High School. San Clemente won the match 1-0. LEONARD ORTIZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Brittany Dyer, left, of Esperanza gets to the ball ahead of Emma Burns of San Clemente in the second round of the Excalibur Tournament at Esperanza High School. San Clemente won the match 1-0. LEONARD ORTIZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Jill Parker, left, of Esperanza races for the ball against Smara Bahu of San Clemente in the second round of the Excalibur Tournament at Esperanza High School. San Clemente won the match 1-0. LEONARD ORTIZ, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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